Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is demanding a $1 million ransom for the release of six healthcare workers abducted in the city of Al-Fashir, according to the Sudan Doctors’ Network (SDN). The hostages, comprising four doctors, a pharmacist, and a nurse, had been treating the wounded during the ongoing siege of Al-Fashir before being captured by the RSF and allied forces.
The SDN said RSF units are demanding 100 million Sudanese pounds (around $167,000) per doctor for their release, declaring that the paramilitary bears full responsibility for the lives and safety of the abducted personnel. “We affirm that this is an organized criminal act aimed at destroying what remains of the healthcare system in Darfur and intimidating humanitarian workers,” the organization said. Human rights activists have called on the World Health Organization and other international bodies to intervene urgently, emphasizing that targeting medical personnel is a crime that cannot be tolerated.
The abductions follow the RSF’s announcement on Sunday that it had taken full control of Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur Province. A militia spokesperson also claimed control of the Sudanese Armed Forces Sixth Infantry Division command, consolidating the RSF’s military hold in the region.
Sudan descended into conflict in April 2023 when clashes erupted between the national army and the RSF, led respectively by army generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as ‘Hemedti,’ over the transition to civilian rule. What began as a power struggle in Khartoum has since left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced. Regional and international mediation efforts, including initiatives by the African Union and Saudi–US talks in Jeddah, have repeatedly stalled. Sudanese authorities have accused foreign mercenaries and governments, including Colombia, Ukraine, and the UAE, of involvement in the conflict.
Following the RSF’s takeover, Darfur Governor Minni Arko Minnawi confirmed the fall of Al-Fashir, warning against allowing violent groups to dictate the region’s future. Minnawi called for civilian protection, clarity on displaced populations, and an independent inquiry into alleged atrocities committed by RSF militias. “Every inch will return to its rightful owners,” he said in a statement posted on X.
The escalating abductions and territorial seizures underscore the worsening humanitarian crisis in Darfur and the growing threat to medical personnel working on the front lines of Sudan’s protracted conflict.
